When Help Gets Harder to Find: What the Removal of LGBTQ+ Support from 988 Means for Mental Health
By Sarah Benitez-Zandi LCSW
In the world of mental health, one of the most powerful things we can say is: "You're not alone." Crisis lines like 988 were created to make sure that, at any hour, someone in need could reach out and hear a human voice on the other end. No barriers, no judgment—just help.
So when changes come that limit who can access support that feels safe and affirming, it’s more than disappointing. It's alarming.
Beginning July 2025, the option to speak with an LGBTQ-trained counselor through the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline will no longer be available. This feature, once accessible by pressing “3,” offered specialized, trauma-informed support to LGBTQ+ individuals—especially youth—who might not otherwise feel safe reaching out. It was a lifeline in every sense of the word.
And now, it’s going away.
This isn’t about political affiliations or headlines. This is about humans taking care of humans.
Why Specialized Support Matters
Mental health crises don’t check your voting record. They don’t care what zip code you live in, what religion you practice, or who you love. But the experience of reaching out for help can be deeply shaped by those things.
For LGBTQ+ people—particularly young people who are already at a higher risk for depression, anxiety, and suicide—talking to someone who understands their unique experiences can be the difference between staying silent or saying “I need help.”
Specialized support is not about giving "special treatment." It's about recognizing that certain groups have specific needs—and meeting people where they are. We wouldn’t think twice about offering interpreters for non-English speakers or trauma-informed care for survivors of violence or veterans. Why should culturally competent mental health care be any different?
A Call to Our Shared Humanity
In nearly every helping profession—whether you're a therapist, a nurse, a teacher, or a first responder—there is one common expectation: Do no harm. We are trained to assess our own biases, to be aware of the lenses we view the world through, and to not let those views interfere with our ability to help someone in need.
Even if we cannot personally provide a service—because of our scope, experience, or comfort level—we have an ethical and moral responsibility to point someone in the direction of someone who can. Without judgment. Without delay.
Because when someone finally builds up the courage to say, “I’m struggling,” that is not the moment to let our personal beliefs get in the way.
This Is Bigger Than One Hotline
The removal of LGBTQ+ services from 988 isn’t just about one phone line. It’s about what kind of world we want to build. One where support is conditional? Or one where support is a given—something we offer because people are people and pain is pain.
Mental health systems should not be shaped by politics. They should be shaped by empathy. By research. By the lived experiences of the people they’re designed to serve.
We Can Still Show Up
Even as we mourn the loss of this specialized option, we can continue to advocate for and share other resources that remain strong and inclusive. We can also choose—every day—to show up for each other. To listen with curiosity instead of judgment. To refer, support, protect, and remind one another: You deserve care. You are worthy of help. And we’re going to keep fighting to make sure you get it.
This isn’t about politics.
This is about people.
Let’s choose to take care of each other.
Resources That Are Still Available
While this specific 988 option is going away, support is still out there—safe, inclusive, and ready to help:
The Trevor Project
Support for LGBTQ youth (ages 13–24)
Call: 1-866-488-7386
Text: “START” to 678-678
Chat: www.thetrevorproject.org
Trans Lifeline
Peer-to-peer support for transgender and non-binary individuals
Call: 1-877-565-8860
Staffed entirely by trans operators
LGBT National Help Center
Support for all ages, including youth, seniors, and those coming out
LGBT National Hotline: 1-888-843-4564
Youth Talkline (25 & under): 1-800-246-7743
Senior Hotline: 1-888-234-7243
Crisis Text Line
Text-based support for anyone in crisis
Text: HOME to 741-741
Free, confidential, 24/7
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Still available for all U.S. residents
Call/Text/Chat: 988
You’ll still reach trained crisis counselors 24/7